Crafted with care, attention, and a deep passion for the craft. This timepiece merges technical mastery with aesthetic beauty. The goal was to create a watch that is beautiful yet understated, with a calm, elegant color. The design draws inspiration from grandeur, expressed in a pure and straightforward form. Beauty lies in simplicity, detail, precision, perfection, and shine.
PRESENTS
THE BLACK TULIP
A watch designed to be as simple, pure, and plain as possible - speaking volumes through its simplicity. Though the complication is intricate, it remains beautiful in its purity.
PRECISION IS EMBEDDED IN EVERY DETAIL
NAMED AFTER THE LEGEND OF THE BLACK TULIP, THIS WATCH SYMBOLIZES THE PURSUIT OF UNATTAINABLE BEAUTY.
Like the black tulip, the timepiece represents a rare creation—an elegant blend of perfection and grace. With only 10 pieces available, it stands as a testament to exclusivity and craftsmanship.
Further details will be shared in March 2025 with the launch of the website and social media. Stay tuned.
WATCH SPECIFICATIONS
Calibre D202.5
Zero reset mechanism
Main plate & bridges: Rhodium-plated with hand-polished bevels
Spring: Free-sprung balance spring, variable inertia balance wheel
Power reserve: 100 Hours
Frequency: 3 Hz (21,600 beats per hour)
Number of jewels: 19
Total parts: 125
Diameter of platine: 31.80 mm
Thickness of platine: 5.85 mm (7.80 mm including components)
Zero reset mechanism
Main plate & bridges: Rhodium-plated with hand-polished bevels
Spring: Free-sprung balance spring, variable inertia balance wheel
Power reserve: 100 Hours
Frequency: 3 Hz (21,600 beats per hour)
Number of jewels: 19
Total parts: 125
Diameter of platine: 31.80 mm
Thickness of platine: 5.85 mm (7.80 mm including components)
Dial material: Brass, rhodium plated
Finish: Laser-engraved pattern
Hands: Hand-finished hour, minute, and second hands
Indices: High-polished
Number of parts: 39
Dial diameter: 31.00 mm
Watch case: Stainless steel
Diameter: 38 mm
Thickness: 11.9 mm (7.80 mm without case)
Glass: Domed sapphire with anti-reflective coating
Case back: Flat sapphire with anti-reflective coating
Water resistance: 50 m
Number of parts: 21
Strap: Leather
Signature Dunselman buckle: Stainless steel
Bridges: Sandblasted
Anglage: Hand-polished
Main plate: Perlage
Wheels: Circular graining with hand-polished arms and laser engraving
Logo & other steel components: Polished by hand
Ratchet wheel: Circular graining, laser engraving, and hand-finished anglage
Crown wheel: Circular graining, laser engraving, and hand-finished anglage
Screws: Black-polished
Limited edition: 10 pieces
ANNELINDE DUNSELMAN
Developed an early fascination with mechanical objects, such as miniatures, watches, and radios—anything small and intricate that she could take apart to uncover its secrets. This curiosity, however, did not immediately lead her to her current path. Instead, she pursued creative studies in theatre and social sciences, where she discovered the joy of creating—be it through plays, music, or visual art—and the value of collaboration with diverse individuals.
Her passion for fine mechanics and craftsmanship eventually led her to pursue formal training in watchmaking and goldsmithing at 'Vakschool Schoonhoven' in the Netherlands. During this time, she further refined her skills in a family-owned jewelry shop's atelier, interned at Jaeger Le-Coultre, and studied watch decoration at Manufactor. Between 2019 and 2022, she perfected her craft at Grönefeld in Oldenzaal. Today, Annelinde runs Dunselman Watchmaking, based in the historical town of Zwolle, where she creates her own timepieces, combining expertise and creativity.
THE STORY OF
THE DUTCH BLACK TULIP
Blends horticultural pursuit with deep cultural significance, rooted in the Dutch fascination with tulips that peaked during the Tulip Mania of the 17th century.
The tulip was introduced to the Netherlands from the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, quickly becoming a status symbol among the wealthy. This led to Tulip Mania in the 1630s, a period of frenzied trading of tulip bulbs at extraordinarily high prices.
Among tulip enthusiasts, the pursuit of a pure black tulip became the ultimate challenge. Achieving this was considered nearly impossible due to the genetics of tulips. The black tulip represented a triumph in horticulture, a symbol of prestige, luxury, and rarity.
The allure of the black tulip was so strong that it became a part of Dutch culture and literature. One of the most famous references is Alexandre Dumas’ novel, The Black Tulip (1850), set in the 17th century. It tells the story of a competition to cultivate a black tulip, reflecting the frenzy of tulip mania during that era.
In reality, a truly black tulip has never been successfully cultivated. The closest are deep shades of purple or maroon that are often mistaken for black. Nevertheless, the quest for the black tulip endures as a symbol of the beauty and folly of obsession in horticulture.
The tale of the black tulip remains emblematic of the broader tulip industry in the Netherlands, the world’s largest producer and exporter of tulips and tulip bulbs. Tulips hold a cherished place in Dutch culture, and the search for rare and unique varieties continues.
The Black Tulip story captures humanity’s fascination with achieving the unattainable and the allure of rarity. It blends history, economics, and botany, reflecting our complex relationship with the cultivation of beauty in nature.
This legend inspires the creation of this watch, which embodies the pursuit of unattainable perfection – much like the black tulip itself.
